Pie Crust Promises

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God. Romans 4:20

MY WIFE IS A WONDERFUL BAKER, and is renowned especially for her pies. Shortly before we got married, she taught me a new phrase: “pie-crust promises.” These are promises that are easily made and easily broken. All of us have to deal with pie-crust promises sometimes: someone gives their word and fails to keep it. Sometimes this is a mere inconvenience; sometimes it hurts us deeply.

It is wise to be patient with those who make pie-crust promises because we do the same thing sometimes. We keep a friend waiting past the appointed time, or we forget a birthday amid a busy season. We can fail even those we love most deeply: we say an unkind word to a spouse or lose patience with our children. We can fail them through our human weakness when we simply forget what we promised to do. Because of this, we must always realize that human promises are, after all, only human.

It’s hard to imagine the love and power of someone who never breaks a promise. Yet that is the love given freely to us. Beyond our ability either to reproduce or fully comprehend, this is God’s gift to us. Because of this, we can live hopefully in a fearful time, for we know that the one who has promised us is faithful.

Name the promise of God that gives you hope today.

Michael Jordan is the dean of the chapel at Houghton College, where he also serves as chair of the Department of Biblical Studies, Theology and Philosophy.